Ruby Tuesday, Inc.

Poor Customer Service From the General Manager of the Ruby Tuesday's Restaurant Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC

By Holly - 05/16/2013

Rating: 1/51

FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA -- I visited the Ruby Tuesdays on Ramsey Street in Fayetteville, NC tonight and received the worst customer service I have ever received at a restaurant. The most shocking part is that it came from the general manager of the restaurant.

I asked three employees to please turn down the music volume. After the request was ignored for over five minutes I asked the Hostess to turn down the music. Her reply was, "I will have to get the manager" which is an odd reply to a customer's request to turn down the music volume. When the restaurant manager came out she said that the music level was fine. I asked for her manager.

The general manager came out of the back and was shockingly abrupt and condescending to me. He approached me in an uncomfortable borderline aggressive manner. He didn't approach me with a smile or words to comfort me the customer. His one and only sentence to me was that he would turn down the music to 1 and if I wasn't satisfied then I would have to leave. This was humiliating to me because he said this in front of employees and customers as we were standing next to the Hostess stand.

He set a poor example of customer service in front of four of his employees. His is in a position of authority and set an unbelievable poor example of customer service for his employees to witness. This behavior was telling is underlings that it is okay to be rude and uncaring to a customer's request and that customer service is not the #1 priority. He didn't preface the conversation with anything else. He walks out of the back and his one sentence response as stated above. I'm very confident that Ruby Tuesday's doesn't condone this type of behavior from any of its employees and especially from a general manager.

I have been a regular customer of this Ruby Tuesday's restaurant on Ramsey Street for many years... ever since it has opened. For several months I have meet with a friend on Wednesday night to have dinner at this restaurant. I am appalled and disheartened that as a loyal customer that I would be treated this way by a general manager. He was cocky and arrogant.

It was obvious from his words and actions that he wasn't worried at all about any repercussions of his poor customer service as evidenced by his behavior in front of customers and employees. He gives me the number to his superior and arrogantly walks away. This is just unacceptable behavior of someone of his stature and that is why I am bringing this to your attention.

If the general manager treated me this way over a simple request to turn the music down, then he will continue to behave this way when other customers complain. I will continue to be a loyal customer at Ruby Tuesdays but it will not be at the Ramsey Street location.

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Rancid Burgers!

- 01/09/2012

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA -- My Open Letter To Ruby Tuesdays: I was shocked by what was the WORST experience I have ever had anywhere, let alone Ruby Tuesdays at Eastchase Loop, Montgomery Alabama. I have eaten at your restaurants for years in various cities I have lived. I had come to rely on the consistency of the food and service quality that made anywhere I am feel "like home". Today the order was not taken correctly, took long despite that it was not crowded, I had to ask for refill on my drink despite the server seeing it was empty for about 15 minutes. But the worst part is that after all this I was served meat that was RANCID!! I threw up before I left and have been sick ever since.

I got home, threw up again and slept all day. I am so upset I cannot even express my anger and disappointment. My sister was with me and when I told her my burger was not good she smelled hers and backed away. I was very hungry when I arrived and by the time the food got to us I tried to eat it but less than halfway through I realized it was not me - the meat really was bad. My sister ordered the Minis and had not gotten to the meat part because its mostly bread on those but when she smelled mine, she lifted the bun on hers, took one sniff and put it down!

It was disgusting. The texture was spongy, as if frozen and then improperly defrosted. It was not pink but I think that was not due to being cooked. It felt like the color was due to it being not fresh. The question it raises for me is about food handling at your restaurants. Is your meat frozen until ready to be cooked? Is it handled safely? Clearly the answer has to be NO judging from our experience and both of us having the same problem. This was at approx noon, it is now almost 11 pm and it's just now that I feel well enough to even write to you.

The server and asst. mgr offered me another dish... as if I could even think of eating another bite in your restaurant. She said "I don't want you to leave hungry".... Trust me, leaving hungry was not possible. I have not been able to eat since that. I was even too sick to go to Pri-Med, which I considered because I thought I was food poisoned. Just writing to you is like reliving that horrible ordeal and sickens me to recall the odor and taste of the burger.

We were not charged for our meals - thank you for not charging us for food poisoning! But I swear by all I hold dear that I will never eat at any Ruby Tuesdays again and will warn my friends and family about what happened to us today and the indications that the food handling at Ruby's needs to be looked into... A former Ruby Tuesdays customer.

LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA -- I am not a person who complains easily, so this is difficult for me, my friend has encouraged me to hold this place of business accountable. We went to the restaurant in the outlet mall in Lancaster off of route 30. I have eaten at Ruby Tuesdays in the Harrisburg area and was always pleased so this experience was unusual. As we were approaching the restaurant I remarked, "it looks like we came at the right time there is not a line, and a sign outside said immediate setting." We walked in and a pleasant young man greeted us and said "it would be a few minutes."

As we waited we observed that the restaurant was almost empty, another couple came in and they were told pretty much as we were, then a young woman came up to the young man and said something to him. As this occurred a group of four came in and they were told it would be about 15 minutes wait. My friend and I looked at each other and my friend said "the place is almost empty, what is going on?" The couple that came in after us left, and it was then that we found out that they had a shortage of servers.

I said to my friend "let's go", so we left, as we were leaving my friend said "you better turn off that sign outside that says immediate seating" and they seemed to be unaware of it. I couldn't believe what had occurred. As we walked to a competitor's restaurant I remarked, "well they are losing business for their place and at the same time giving Ruby Tuesdays a bad name." Now as I said before I do not normally complain but this was ridiculous. I hesitated to send this complaint but then decided to go ahead and do this, oh and the date this happened was Friday August 10, thank you for listening to my complaint.

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To the LIAR "666" LADY who left a false review of the Louisville KY Ruby Tuesday

By RTisAmazing! - 08/11/2010

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY -- There was a "customer" that came into the Ruby Tuesday on Blakenbaker Pkwy in Louisville, KY, and she seemed like a normal customer... with the exception of over-asking for little extras. It was fine. I even interacted with her grandson, was VERY nice to him, because well, she was just rude and walked in with a chip on her shoulder from the get-go. I even spoke to my manager before I even placed her order, letting him know that I had a feeling she was going to try to get free food. Her actions were diva-like, and unacceptable. Even though I KNEW this, I still gave her EXCELLENT service.

Her and her grandson ate everything they had, and when it was time to give her the bill, the total was $6.66. I know what that number represents in religion, however, Ruby Tuesday isn't a gas station, we can't just add a penny to make a different total. As she gave me the payment for her bill, she stated to me, "Don't expect a tip, you need to read your bible, you don't even know what that number means."

I was BLOWN AWAY. I replied, "That is NOT acceptable, and I'm getting my manager to take care of you." I went and got my manager, he came out quickly and tried to talk to her about her ticket, but she was rude to him as well, and kept cutting him off. He kindly asked her to leave, to which she did.

To my surprise, I come on HERE, and see that this woman left a FALSE statement about what happened that day on here... wow, the only thing I have to say to this woman is- "GROW UP... and don't EXPECT a company to take care of your bill because you don't like the total! LOL Using your religious beliefs to get out of paying is blasphemy!!! You should be ashamed of yourself! And for your information, I DO know my bible, which is NONE of your business, thank you very much! I hope you learned your lesson, and you don't pull this somewhere else. My manager did the right thing in asking you to leave, we DON'T want customers like YOU in our establishment."

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Georgetown, KY needs to train their cooks

By Pendleton - 08/14/2009

GEORGETOWN, KENTUCKY -- I eat at Ruby Tuesday in Lexington, Louisville and Georgetown often when I am on the road for work-related travel. I have always received service that is at least acceptable. But my last two visits to the Georgetown, KY store have guaranteed that I will never return to this location. I would not suggest this store to anyone that I know.

When I arrived at the door, I was greeted by a manager who suggested the bar area because of your new happy hour. So I was seated at the bar. Didn't like the happy hour choices so I instead ordered a ribeye. The food was brought to my table by the same manager who greeted me at the door (I think he said his name was **).

When he sat my plate down, I could tell that the meat was overcooked, so I immediately asked him if my steak was medium rare as I ordered. He assured me that it was and informed me that the kitchen staff takes the temp of every steak before it is taken off the grill. When I cut into the steak, it was obvious that he did not know what he was talking about, because this meat was way past medium well.

When I brought it to the attention of my server, he immediately apologizes and takes the plate off my table. Within seconds, **, the manager, comes to my table, apologizes, and tells me he will get me another one, cooked fresh, and made to order this time. I watched him speak to the cooks. I overheard him tell them that this was the 4th steak in the last 15 minutes that had to be recooked. The cook, a Mexican man, immediately started to argue with ** and told him he had taken the temp of the meat and the steak was right the first time. I watched ** talk to him or at least two minutes before they finally listened to him and put another steak on the grill.

About 15 minutes later, another steak arrives at my table, delivered once again by **. He was very nice, offered me a discount on my meal for the trouble, offered me a free desert. I declined his offer and once again began to eat my steak. I cut into it directly in the center, and this time, the steak was more well done than the first one. Keep in mind, I ordered a medium rare steak that was medium well the first time, and has now come to my table well done the second time.

I carry the plate to ** and you can tell he is embarrassed by the mistake. He immediately apologizes and tells me if I am willing to eat the overcooked steak, he will take it off my ticket completely and that my meal will be free. I agreed.

But I then saw ** go back to the cooks and talk to them about the situation. Again, the cooks were not willing to listen to him and started sticking a thermometer into steaks sitting in the window to show the manager that they were cooked correctly. The cook touched three steaks in the window WITHOUT GLOVES ON!!!!!!!

While the manager seemed to be a hard worker and was very nice and willing to work with me on the problem, it was obvious he had no control over the kitchen staff. One cook had no hat or hair net on. Another cook that was sticking the thermometer into the meat in the window had no gloves on. Sitting at the bar, I saw this cook touch several pieces of hamburger and a couple steaks, without gloves on, then touches cooked meat without gloves or washing his hands. THAT'S NASTY!!!!!!

I was pleased with everything about this location except for the cooks' actions and attitudes. If I had been **, I would have fired the employee on the spot for the way he argued over the problem instead of trying to fix the problem. Everyone at the bar could see this take place, and I hope they also recognized the unsanitary way the cooks handle food.

Next time I am in the Georgetown area, I will eat at Applebee's up the road, or will spend the extra time and money to travel to Lexington, instead of giving my business to a store that had rude cooks who do not care about my health. I would suggest that anyone who read this do the same before these guys kill someone with their unsanitary conditions.

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Ignorant and Moronic Management Accompanied by Terrible Food

By Jubin - 05/13/2009

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY -- I am the General Manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites in VERY closeness to the restaurant location listed above (11701 Bluegrass Pkwy Louisville, KY 40299). For a couple years now, the hotel has done business with the Bluegrass Pkwy franchise, and the Bluegrass Pkwy franchise had offered delivery service down the street to local hotels in the area.

Recently some new idiot of a manager named ** had taken over I guess, this is the first dealing I have had with him, after several managers have failed there, and I guess he had decided to cut off the delivery service (which isn't a big deal) but to not tell anybody is ridiculous, especially when the staff says mixed things each time. So as the hotel refers customers down to the area, the manager out of all people is getting rude with my customers, saying they do not deliver with a terrible attitude, then I feel like we have a problem.

When I called down to question the status of the delivery method from now on, ** the idiot, made no attempt at reconciliation, but went on the defensive, and after that nothing but ignorance came out of his mouth. Not only is he losing business for his company with the lack of personability, but he is looking like a moron to these guests, who will in turn not eat at another Ruby Tuesdays in their hometown wherever they may be from because of his terrible service and response, and he has lost the referral business of our property.

When the delivery status changes, some days they do, some days they don't, it gets confusing; but yet again they do not post any times, nor do they give any effort to try to help, or notify any participating hotels, so why should we recommend this restaurant. Because of their lack of organization and consistency, the manager tries to displace his anger towards my guests is completely irresponsible, and not manager worthy behavior. I have officially told that manager, **, that as long as he is there, there will be no referrals for his business, as well as we will no longer carry any of the menus affiliated with that property until the manager ** gets his act together or leaves.

I have notified my ENTIRE staff, to not participate with the Ruby Tuesday's, nor will we recommend, or even bring the name Ruby Tuesday's up in conversation other than to bad mouth the restaurant due to poor management and conduct. I have had issues with this property before, with the accuracy of the deliveries, now it is gotten to the point to where I have a bad taste in my mouth thinking about the restaurant, because of the service.

For the manager to not try and fix the problem, or try and resolve the issue in a better manner, especially with one of the top occupancy hotels in the area is absurd, and almost shows how well the ownership really cares for their repeat business, which is not at all. We referred that property for deliveries, dinners, meetings, etc, but not anymore! Again until this matter is resolved, or I am contacted by somebody, this franchise on 11701 Bluegrass Pkwy will receive no support, or recommendations from this hotel, as well as others in the area who feel the same way about their service, and attitudes.

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Best Service I've Had

By Andrea - 09/08/2014

Rating: 5/51

GEORGETOWN, KENTUCKY -- I'm from the Lima, OH area and only went to the Ruby Tuesdays on occasion because their staff usually wasn't friendly or the salad bar was borderline rancid! However, we are in the process of moving from Ohio to Georgia and decided to try the Ruby Tuesdays in Georgetown Kentucky. The food (including the salad bar) was amazing but didn't touch the server's hospitality. He made the whole experience enjoyable, we didn't have to ask for anything (unlike in Lima) and was willing to answer any questions we had and had no problem finding out answers he was unsure of!

Of course I raved about him to the manager who was just as enjoyable as his serving team who all greeted us with an actual smile! I'm a difficult person to impress when it comes to dining services due to almost 4 years working in the food industry and being a business major, however, I am completely blown away by their food, service, and hospitality!

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Party of 12 Gets the Shaft

By Muzzulin - 08/12/2013

Rating: 1/51

ELIZABETH. CITY, NORTH CAROLINA -- Party of 12 arrived for dinner on a Sunday evening. Had to wait 15 minutes for table to be ready in spite of having a reservation. Waited one hour after being seated for dinners to arrive... and some were congealed and cold (pasta dishes) while steaks were overcooked. Waitress was told to serve all dinners together. But of course, she could not even carry that many dinners at one time. When we were ready to leave before the rest of the party we had to wait another 20 minutes just to get the check and then she said "all checks had to be prepared at the same time." Stupid on both counts.

Apparently, Ruby Tuesday is not interested in larger parties. Groups of 3 or 4 that arrived at the same time, were finished and leaving before our food even arrived. Won't patronize this Ruby Tuesday again. Btw, I don't blame to waitress but I do blame the management and the kitchen procedures.

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Rotten Lobster Tail

By Jose - 08/09/2012

Rating: 1/51

MIAMI LAKES, FLORIDA -- We had a late lunch at Ruby Tuesday in Miami Lakes Florida and my wife ordered the lobster tail and I ordered a sirloin steak. Big mistake. We went to Ruby because of the advertising promo on TV announcing their makeovers of the restaurant. Nice job. The restaurant really looks nice. Too bad they did not makeover the kitchen. The lobster was rotten and raw. My wife almost puked when she tasted it. It was removed immediately by the waitress. She was shocked when she looked at it. Wasn't someone looking in the kitchen. My sirloin was dry and nasty. The lobster was replace by an order of overcooked shrimps. We left as soon as we could.

I wrote to corporate and got a letter from a ** which stated that he understands we were at the Miami Lakes restaurant and if we would like to discuss it to call him. I did call him on two occasions and my phone call were never returned. I email him and the same result. I called consumer relations department and after explaining the problem to them I was told to hold on and then I was transferred to the voice mail of ** the same guy who does not return phone calls. This restaurant is a waste. Never again. I can understand that you had a lousy cook that day. I cannot understand the total disregard for the consumer by corporate office.

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Very Upset

By Doris - 07/30/2012

Rating: 4/51

NORTHCHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA -- The servers was good. We ask for a bake potato with our food. The potato was so cold that it couldn't even melt the butter and was brown and hard on the inside. We have had this happen to us more than once when the restaurant was in north. The food was good the ribs was good and the potato was always fresh. Seeing pour a drink out of a dirty glass, put into a clean glass and use the same little star for decoration on the clean glass. If I was an inspector, I would taken the a, of your door and replace it with e.